Addressing Asbestos at Superfund Sites

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Asbestos is the name given to a number of naturally occurring fibrous silicate minerals that have been mined for their useful properties such as thermal insulation, chemical and thermal stability, and high tensile strength. Asbestos is used in many commercial products, including insulation, brake linings, and roofing shingles. Past practices have led to environmental contamination and subsequent action under the Superfund (CERCLA) program, for example:

Libby Asbestos Response, EPA Region 8 - Internet materials related to EPA's investigation and clean up of the Libby Asbestos site in Northwest Montana.

Asbestos Topics:

Technical Assistance
Policy and Guidance
Health Effects
Naturally Occurring Asbestos

Technical Assistance

Asbestos Compendium of Technical Resources
Asbestos Committee
Hotline

Asbestos Compendium of Technical Resources

The EPA Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation has created this Asbestos Compendium of Technical Resources. The Compendium is a useful resource when implementing the Framework for Investigating Asbestos-Contaminated Superfund Sites (PDF) (71 pp, 849K) OSWER Directive 9200.0-68, September 2008. This web-based resource provides site managers with easy access to asbestos-related information, tools, and resources

Technical Review Workgroup Asbestos Committee

The Technical Review Workgroup (TRW) is an interoffice workgroup convened by the U.S. EPA Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response/Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation (OSWER/OSRTI). Its goal is to support and promote consistent application of the best science in the field of risk assessment for metals and asbestos at contaminated sites nationwide.

The asbestos committee of the TRW has been convened by OSWER/OSRTI to develop new guidance and policy concerning site assessment and cleanup at hazardous waste sites contaminated by asbestos. The asbestos committee will also provide site consultation in support of regional requests and identify research needs to address data gaps relevant to asbestos site assessment activities.

The asbestos committee is currently led by a three-person co-chair group presently consisting of Michele Burgess (burgess.michele@epa.gov) of OSRTI, Chuck Nace (nace.charles@epa.gov) of Region 2, and Julie Wroble (wroble.julie@epa.gov) of Region 10. The other members of the committee currently include representatives from all Regions, OPPT, ORD, ERT, and OSWER.

Hotline

Questions concerning the assessment, removal or remediation of asbestos contamination at hazardous waste sites may be directed to the Technical Review Workgroup Technical Support Hotline in either of the following ways:

Send a question via e-mail to asbestoshelp@epa.gov.
Call the toll-free TRW Hotline at 1-866-282-8622. If a hotline staff member is not available to speak with you, you may leave a message on the hotline voicemail system.

Hotline requests are received and logged by staff members. Technical experts will respond to the call within 24 hours. In some instances, further research may be required to respond to the request. The requester will be notified of all progress. Hotline requests that require significant research are referred to the Technical Review Workgroup for review and consideration. Should hotline questions require discussion during a TRW teleconference, the requesters are notified and may be encouraged to participate in the teleconference. The written response summarizing the TRW's review and recommendations will be provided after the teleconference. If a legal concern for confidentiality exists, requests for assistance should be submitted to the TRW through regional legal counsel.

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Policy and Guidance

Transmittal of Framework for Investigating Asbestos-Contaminated Superfund Sites (PDF) (3 pp, 399K) OSWER Directive 9200.0-68, September 2008.
The purpose of this memorandum is to transmit the document: Framework for Investigating Asbestos-Contaminated Superfund Sites (Framework). The Framework provides guidance for assessing sites contaminated with asbestos that are being addressed under the authority of Superfund.
Framework for Investigating Asbestos-Contaminated Superfund Sites (PDF) (71 pp, 849K) OSWER Directive 9200.0-68, September 2008.
This Framework implements the August 2004 Directive by recommending a risk-based, site-specific approach for site evaluation based on current asbestos science. This guidance provides a recommended flexible framework for investigating and evaluating asbestos contamination at Superfund removal and remedial sites. This document also provides remedial/removal managers, remedial project managers, on-scene coordinators, site assessors, and other decision makers with information that should assist in the evaluation of asbestos risks at Superfund sites, along with information to facilitate sites decisions under conditions of incomplete characterization and to accommodate the varied nature of environmental asbestos contamination.
Clarifying Cleanup Goals and Identification of New Assessment Tools for Evaluating Asbestos at Superfund Cleanups (PDF) (4 pp, 199K) OSWER 9345.4-05, August 2004.
The purpose of this memo is twofold. The first purpose is to clarify that Regions should develop risk-based, site-specific action levels to determine if response actions should be taken when materials containing less than 1 percent asbestos (including chrysotile and amphibole asbestos) are found on a site. Regions should not assume that materials containing less than 1 percent asbestos do not pose an unreasonable risk to human health. The second purpose is to outline some activities underway to assist in the evaluation of asbestos risks at Superfund sites.
Assessing Protectiveness for Asbestos Sites: Supplemental Guidance to Comprehensive Five-Year Review Guidance (PDF) (6 pp, 73K) OSWER Directive #9355.7-03B-P October 2009. This guidance provides recommendations for evaluating the protectiveness of a remedy for asbestos contamination at Superfund sites during a five-year review. It is accompanied by a two-page December 3, 2009, transmittal memorandum (PDF) (2 pp, 442K) issued by James Woolford, Director of the Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation.
ERT Helpful Hints for Activity-based Sampling for Asbestos in Air( (DOCX) (8 pp, 48K) This supplemental guidance provides OSCs, RPMs, and other Regional personnel with recommendations for Activity-Based Sampling (ABS). ERT has provided assistance for ABS evaluation at many sites and provides these tips to share their collective experience with ABS for asbestos in air.

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Health Effects

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Naturally Occurring Asbestos

Naturally occurring asbestos (NOA) is an issue that affects communities across the country. NOA occurs in rocks and soil as a result of natural geological processes. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has an ongoing effort to update existing national-scale databases on asbestos occurrences. USGS has published maps and data sets of natural asbestos occurrences within the following areas:

Natural weathering and human activities may disturb NOA-bearing rock or soil and release mineral fibers into the air, which pose a greater potential for human exposure by inhalation. EPA has developed a fact sheet entitled Naturally Occurring Asbestos: Approaches for Reducing Exposure (PDF) (7 pp, 85K), which provides an overview of approaches for reducing exposures to NOA. This fact sheet is based on existing engineering approaches, work practices, and institutional controls that have been implemented at the state or local government level to reduce exposures to NOA. The fact sheet is intended to serve as a practical starting point for state and local government leaders addressing NOA issues in their localities. In general, selecting an appropriate approach to reduce NOA exposure should be determined on a location-specific basis.

The fact sheet contains hyperlinks to references and resources on NOA. For more information on this fact sheet, please contact Jayne Michaud (michaud.jayne@epa.gov) of US EPA's Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation.